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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904456">Nexus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidbeader/pseuds/avidbeader'>avidbeader</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Don't copy to another site, M/M, Red String of Fate, Season 8 Doesn't Exist, Sheith Month 2020, bonus art, now with commissioned art!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:02:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,277</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24904456</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidbeader/pseuds/avidbeader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Red strings were a fact of life.</p><p>Shiro had ignored the presence of his string, like most people. His soulmate was out there somewhere and if the fates were kind, they would meet one day.</p><p>That day was today.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>226</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nexus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The first scene of this fic was inspired by <a href="https://twitter.com/rokudemonyai/status/1181983179009216513">this fanart </a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/rokudemonyai">Rokudemonyai</a>. I got inspired to try and do more, then made a goal of finishing it for Soulmates Day for Sheith Month 2020. But as I was rushing to try and finish, this has yet to be properly beta'ed and I will add in the edits when <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latart0903">Latart0903</a> has had the chance to go through it and make it better. <b>ETA:</b> And now we have the final version with adjustments by Latart. My thanks as always for her invaluable input.</p><p>Extra thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/arahir">arahir</a> and <a href="https://arahir.tumblr.com/post/618420449520582656/sorry-to-bother-you-but-do-you-have-a-link-to">her guide to adding the custom dividers</a>!</p><p>NOW WITH COMMISSIONED ART! I got Anka (kaa05n2) to draw a scene and it is glorious. Check out her <a href="https://kaa-05n2.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kaa05n2">Twitter</a> for more stunning Sheith art!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Red strings were a fact of life.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone had one, tied in a neat small bow around the pinky finger of one hand. Everyone could see their own string and a gifted few saw all the strings, running all over the world, linking two people together. </p><p> </p><p>They existed on another plane, visible but without substance, and everyone went about their lives accepting their vague presence. Some claimed they could always feel the string, humming with energy. Some forgot the strings were there because they never felt anything from them. </p><p> </p><p>You could not untie or cut your string. You could try and follow it, but it almost never worked: without being able to hold or touch it, you would lose track of it as soon as you were interrupted by someone or something else.</p><p> </p><p>But when you encountered the person on the other end of your string, you knew. You had found the person you were destined to be the closest to in your life. The length of the string between you was said to predict how long you could be together.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro had ignored the presence of his string, like most people. There was one moment when he was fourteen, when there had been a sudden and sharp pull, a feeling of profound despair and grief. </p><p> </p><p>He had told his grandfather, worried that something had happened to his soulmate, that he would never have the chance to meet them. His grandfather reassured him. The string was still there, still visible to Shiro. His soulmate was out there somewhere and if the fates were kind, they would meet one day.</p><p> </p><p>That day was today.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro barely heard the teacher’s words as she introduced him to the class. The string was pulsing around his finger and he felt a little dizzy. His eyes followed the loops and whorls of red to the neat bow on the hand of a boy in the class. A boy surrounded in light like a halo long enough for Shiro to see and know him.</p><p> </p><p>But the boy didn’t look back. He showed no reaction at all, but continued to gaze out the window, deliberately indifferent to the activity in the classroom.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro frowned, trying to understand what was wrong, but the other students were clapping and he had to begin his speech.</p><p> </p><p>Once outside, as the students took turns in the simulator, he watched the boy. He stayed apart from the others and no other student acknowledged him. The teacher made no effort to draw him in. He sat on a bench, his back to the action, shoulders hunched in the thin red jacket, hair falling to hide his face.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro took another look at the string, now piled up in the space between them. A long string supposedly meant a long life shared, which made Shiro’s stomach twist bitterly. But he couldn’t figure out why the boy was showing no reaction to him at all.</p><p> </p><p>And then he saw it, almost buried in the jumble of thread. A cluster of knots, large and snarled.</p><p> </p><p>The boy had closed himself off.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro’s heart ached at what this boy must have been through, to isolate himself so much that his string had done everything but break. He glanced around, seeing that all the other students had finished the game.</p><p> </p><p>Time to start untangling the mess.</p><p> </p><p>“Looks like you're the only one who's left. Think you got what it takes?”</p><p> </p><p>The boy looked at him with wide astonished eyes and the knot twitched, just a little, as one twist loosened.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro smiled at him.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>Keith Kogane wasn’t sure exactly when his luck had turned.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was the day he had first set foot in the simulator, the one brought to his school. The sensation of flying in space had felt so natural, so <em> right, </em>and for a few moments he had reveled in it, ignoring the audience behind him except for the presence of the Garrison officer. There was amazement and a growing sense of pride coming from somewhere. Which meant it wouldn’t be any of his classmates or his teacher; the Garrison officer was the only possibility.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was later that day, when the officer arrived at the detention center and collected both Keith and the stolen car, refusing to press charges. He’d handed Keith a card with his name on it: Lieutenant Takashi Shirogane, and invited him to come see the Garrison.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was when his social worker came to the group home, thrilled to show him the message from the Garrison that officially confirmed his acceptance. She went with him to orientation, where Shiro had sought him out and talked to him for longer than any of the other new cadets with their families. Keith hadn’t missed the jealous looks from Griffin and the other kids. He also hadn’t missed the way a grizzled older officer watched Shiro talk with him, his eyes narrowed like he was judging Shiro as much as Keith.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was weeks later, after the fight with Griffin. Keith had been certain that he would be expelled—people in charge always believed kids like Griffin over kids like Keith. And Keith knew well enough by now that it never mattered what the other person said. The minute you responded by hitting back, you were automatically in the wrong.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, Shiro had come out of the office after being berated for several minutes and then told Keith in a tone full of conviction that he would never give up on him.</p><p> </p><p>Keith remembered that day so vividly because that was the night his red string came back. He had realized it was gone sometime between the fourth foster family and being sent to the home. At that point the tangled mess of emotions in his chest had become a permanent ache and Keith had retreated further into himself, accepting that whoever had been on the other end of his string was dead or no longer cared about having a soulmate. There was no place for him anywhere that included kindness, much less affection.</p><p> </p><p>But since meeting Shiro that knot in his chest had loosened, bit by bit. And there were days where he almost felt happy, like he had a place in this world. He felt motivated to do better, work harder, be worth Shiro’s efforts and prove he belonged at the Garrison. And as he approached the end of his first year, he was surprised to discover he was considered one of the top students in his year.</p><p> </p><p>Keith was studying for his intro to physics final, making notes on things to ask Shiro, when he felt a tug from the string. It jarred him, because he had never felt anything from it before.</p><p> </p><p>And what he was feeling was a wave of excited, nervous joy.</p><p> </p><p>His eyes followed the string, from his finger to the pile in the floor. It was less knotted than it had been before it vanished for years, but was still a web of snarls and twists. The other end ran under the door and out into the hall of his dormitory.</p><p> </p><p>Keith got up and started following it.</p><p> </p><p>His hall was remarkably empty. Most of the other cadets had taken advantage of the weekend’s later curfew to ask for passes and go into town. He was able to follow his string easily to the main corridor that branched off to the classrooms, mess hall, and library, and turned down another hallway. He was so focused on keeping his eyes on the string and not losing his progress that, when the string disappeared under a door, he nearly reached for the palm scanner to try and open it.</p><p> </p><p>But he came to his senses and looked around, realizing he’d found his way onto the officers’ hall.</p><p> </p><p>And was standing in front of the door to Shiro’s apartment.</p><p> </p><p>Keith sucked in a breath and stepped back. His mind spun with questions, seeking any possible answer other than the obvious one before him.</p><p> </p><p>Before he could make up his mind what to do, footsteps sounded behind him and a hand reached over his shoulder to knock before resting on the scanner.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, cadet. What’s up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lieutenant Walker, sir,” Keith stammered, getting his fingers to his forehead in a rushed salute.</p><p> </p><p>The door opened and Walker held out a hand for him to enter. “Did you need something?”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a couple of questions about the physics exam, but I forgot my book.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think Shiro has a copy. Come on in.” Once inside he called out, “Shiro? We have a visitor!”</p><p> </p><p>Shiro came out of his bedroom, beaming. “Keith!” He caught Keith up in his arms and spun them in place. “Your timing’s perfect! I get to share the news with both of you!”</p><p> </p><p>Keith clung to Shiro long enough to regain his balance after his feet were on the floor again. Then Shiro moved over and soundly kissed his boyfriend. “Matt Holt told me just a little while ago—his dad’s launching an exploration mission to Kerberos! And he wants me to apply for the pilot slot!”</p><p> </p><p>Shiro couldn’t hold still in his excitement and was already turning to grab his datapad, eager to show both of them the research he had already started. He missed how Lieutenant Walker’s expression darkened briefly before turning to Shiro’s bookshelf.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro brought up the datapad to show Keith the stats on Kerberos and Keith saw the string around Shiro’s finger. The one that only he and Shiro could see.</p><p> </p><p>The one that meant they were destined for one another.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>They stood next to one another, watching as the sky grew dark and the lights around the launchpad lit up. Crews were still going over final checks of the ship. Shiro had debated for weeks how to approach Keith, and now was his last chance. He glanced down, seeing the pile of red string between them. Still a few knots and tangles in it.</p><p> </p><p>Still much too long for someone with his disease.</p><p> </p><p>He shook that thought away and screwed up his courage. He reached around his neck and unclasped the chain holding his dog tags.</p><p> </p><p>Keith noticed his movement and frowned. “Shiro? What are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me have your tags a minute.”</p><p> </p><p>Still puzzled, Keith lifted his chain over his head and handed it to Shiro. He watched as Shiro quickly swapped one of each pair so that they each had one of their own tags and one of the other’s. Shiro stuffed one pair in his pocket, then leaned forward to clasp the other around Keith’s neck. He laid warm hands on Keith’s shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“There. Keep that for me until I get back?”</p><p> </p><p>Keith’s hand crept up to curl around the tags. Wide-eyed, he nodded.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro ran his hand down that arm, stopping to trace the loops of the red string tied around Keith’s finger.</p><p> </p><p>“And when I get back, we’ll talk about this, okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Keith inhaled sharply. “You knew?”</p><p> </p><p>“I felt it the day I met you, that we were destined to be close to one another. When did you realize?”</p><p> </p><p>“Near the end of my first year.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why didn’t you say anything?”</p><p> </p><p>“You...you and Lieutenant Walker were together. I figured that the string was wrong…”</p><p> </p><p>Shiro flinched at that, realizing he’d failed Keith badly if that had been his conclusion. Shiro had focused on being a friend and mentor to Keith, given their ages. Perhaps Keith assumed, as many people did, that the red string indicated only a romantic relationship rather than the deepest, most lasting connection in one’s life.</p><p> </p><p>Now, looking back, Shiro wondered at his own actions. He and Adam had started out as flight partners, and falling into a dating relationship had been easy and fun. They’d even gotten to a point of mentioning being partners in another way.</p><p> </p><p>But the red string had shown him Keith. And Shiro had committed himself to honoring what it stood for as best he could. Adam had begun to resent the time and attention Shiro would spend on Keith. Shiro choosing to pursue the Kerberos mission had only brought to a head what was already a growing divide between them.</p><p> </p><p>He realized that Keith was still talking.</p><p> </p><p>“...and then the mission was a go. I didn’t want to be a distraction. You’ve worked too hard for me to get in your way.”<br/><br/></p><p>Shiro took Keith’s hand, a frisson zipping up his arm as the bows of their string brushed together. “Keith, you were never a distraction and you have never gotten in my way. You never will. When this mission is over, we’ll figure out what this means for us.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith nodded, not trusting his voice, and let Shiro draw him into a tight embrace.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>Shiro wasn’t dead. Keith knew this. None of the others believed him, but he knew.</p><p> </p><p>The red string was still there. Just like when the Kerberos mission was declared lost, the bow remained neatly tied around Keith’s finger. He had caught twinges of pain and fear during that year of Shiro’s absence, but the string did not fade or break or loosen.</p><p> </p><p>Now it led him into the Black Lion.</p><p> </p><p>Keith assumed that the string was trying to tell him he had to fly to wherever Shiro was and kept taking Red out to search. Months went by as Allura and the others grew impatient with how much time he spent scouring the stars for any clue. And he couldn’t tell them—if Lance refused to believe Keith’s word on leadership of the group, why would he believe in a red string he couldn’t see?</p><p> </p><p>He resisted as long as he could, until Black chose to rise and roar when he took the controls. And discovered that the string seemed to disappear into the control panels.</p><p> </p><p>Fine. If it took him piloting Black to follow the string to Shiro, he would do so.</p><p> </p><p>Weeks later, Black led him to a pod, floating dead in space. A pod that held Shiro.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t until Keith managed to chase everyone else out of Shiro’s quarters, so his soulmate could get some sleep, that he looked at his finger and noticed that the string seemed to be...fainter. He glanced sharply at Shiro’s left hand and saw the same thing: a bow tied where it should be, but washed out and faded compared to its normal vibrant scarlet.</p><p> </p><p>Keith slipped out of Shiro’s room. He needed to think and running some basic drills on the training deck was usually a good way to let his thoughts come together. He looked at his hand once more, his eyes following the string.</p><p> </p><p>It was divided.</p><p> </p><p>From about two meters in front of him, the string split into two directions. One end led back under the door into Shiro’s room. The other…</p><p> </p><p>He was utterly unsurprised that the string took him straight back to Black.</p><p> </p><p>And he had no idea what this meant.</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>What had once been a connection to untangle, smooth, and nurture was now a lifeline to Shiro.</p><p> </p><p>A poor choice of words, since he was pretty sure he was dead. Zarkon’s last attack, sending searing pain through his body, tearing it apart at the molecular level. Hearing Keith sob out his grief and beg Black to explain what had happened.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn’t like his body would have lasted much longer, given the disease that had been slowly sapping his muscles from within. But to be torn away from the others, from Keith, without the chance to say goodbye...that hurt.</p><p> </p><p>The loneliness hurt as well. He might be in the familiar starry landscape of the Black Lion’s consciousness, but other than the echoes when someone occupied the pilot’s chair, he was alone. As evident as the sentient ship’s regard for him was, they were too alien to one another to have chats or philosophical discussions.</p><p> </p><p>He knew when Keith entered the lion. The string, no longer red but the same pale purple as his own essence, would glow, leading off into the distance. It had always sat wrong with him, how long the thread was between him and Keith.</p><p> </p><p>Now he took it as a sign that Keith would live a long life while Shiro retained this faint link to him.</p><p> </p><p>It changed when someone new was piloting Black, causing a disturbing feeling of being in two places at once, familiar and yet unknown. Shiro began trying to reach out, to communicate something. He’d almost managed it with Lance when he and the rest of the team appeared briefly in the void.</p><p> </p><p>And then Keith had returned, with a sense of purpose so strong that it drew Shiro in. He could see what was happening, watch as Keith led the team against Lotor’s generals and chased someone who wore Shiro’s face.</p><p> </p><p>Keith’s energy had fueled Shiro, given him the strength to connect to Black and push the lion to catch Keith as he fell.</p><p> </p><p>When Keith had appeared next to him, battered and bruised with a livid wound across one cheek, it had taken every bit of self-control Shiro had to channel a calming presence, to explain what he had learned, that it wasn’t Shiro that had been trying to kill him. Together they had gotten the Black Lion back to the others, defeated Lotor, and prevented an implosion of realities that would have destroyed everything.</p><p> </p><p>And then Keith had exited Black, leaving Shiro alone once more.</p><p> </p><p>He was desperate to know what was happening: he shouted out with an anguish he hadn’t shown since he first realized he was trapped here. He paced, exuding enough energy to feel the outline of his body, the shape of his muscles as he moved.</p><p> </p><p>When the string fizzed into a shimmering pink, he screamed out, terrified that their connection was about to dissolve forever. “KEITH!”</p><p> </p><p>“Shiro?”</p><p> </p><p>“Allura? Allura! I’m here! Follow the string if you see it!”</p><p> </p><p>The string pulsed, its rhythm picking up, and then the light grew and coalesced into Allura. Shiro stared at her, resplendent in her own paladin armor, and suddenly understood why he had seen her among the others in that one instance where he’d almost gotten through to Lance.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Shiro! I’m so sorry we didn’t realize sooner!” She stepped forward and threw her arms around him. “Let’s go home.”</p><p> </p><p>He lost track of his surroundings for several minutes, with Allura’s presence the only thing grounding him. She cradled him, like a mother bird protecting her chick, and drew him through twilight-shrouded space, stars extending into lines of white fire. With a jolt, his world was awash in dazzling pink, the starscape morphing into brilliance like a sunrise.</p><p> </p><p>And suddenly his chest was heaving and his skin was burning and his eyes flew open to so much light everywhere. He bolted upright, trying to remember how breathing worked, and there was pain from bruised ribs and his shoulder was on fire, and the smells filling his nostrils...</p><p> </p><p>Overwhelmed, he started to fall and someone’s arms came around him. Keith’s arms. Shiro kept his eyes closed for a moment, focusing on Keith and the feel of their connection solidifying once more.</p><p> </p><p>He stirred just enough to focus on Keith. He wanted to say something, let them know he was okay, thank them. He managed, “You found me.”</p><p> </p><p>Keith matched him, his simple words loaded with the love and gratitude radiating through the scarlet thread connecting them. “We’re glad you’re back, Shiro.”</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>The string had never been this faint.</p><p> </p><p>Keith could feel the difference in the weight of the bow around his finger. It was thinner, more wispy. Even during the time it faded in color and split into two directions, one for Shiro’s actual soul and the other for a body that was identical enough to the original, the weight had never changed.</p><p> </p><p>It was insubstantial enough that Keith kept that hand flat on the glass above Shiro, not moving it at all for fear of breaking it. He was terrified, watching the display with Shiro’s vitals as they moved in the wrong direction.</p><p> </p><p>The string was long. Long strings were supposed to mean a long life together.</p><p> </p><p>Shiro already died once, dammit!</p><p> </p><p>It was a relief that the others went out scouting for something for fuel for the lions. The only ones left were his mother, his wolf, and Allura. They were doing their best to project calm and support.</p><p> </p><p>His own self-control wavered as the monitors slowed once more. There was no way...it couldn’t end like this, not when he’d just gotten Shiro back!</p><p> </p><p>“I’m afraid the clone body is rejecting Shiro’s consciousness,” Allura murmured.</p><p> </p><p>“There must be some way you can help!” Keith begged, his voice breaking.</p><p> </p><p>She closed her eyes, clearly hurting over her helplessness. “There’s nothing I can do.” </p><p> </p><p>He stared at her for an instant in horror, then turned back to his soulmate. “Shiro, please! Fight” He slammed one fist on the pod, pouring every bit of strength he had into the wavering thread. “You can’t do this to me again…”</p><p> </p><p>He trailed off, focusing completely on the connection, reaching through it to try and catch Shiro and pull him back.</p><p> </p><p>A few seconds passed, the monitors silent. An eternity passed.</p><p> </p><p>And then the string sizzled, the connection surging to a height of power he had never felt before. Shiro’s presence slid into its rightful place next to his, linked by secure strands that glowed a deep and vibrant red.</p><p> </p><p>The glass cover of the pod dematerialized and Keith leaned over as Shiro coughed and cleared his throat. Hesitantly, not quite daring to believe, he whispered, “Shiro?”</p><p> </p><p>“Keith…I was dreaming… Keith, you saved me.”</p><p> </p><p>A relieved smile spread across Keith’s face as he answered, “We saved each other.”</p><p> </p><p></p><div class="center">
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</div><p>The decorations featured red ribbons everywhere and it was all Leifsdóttir’s fault.</p><p> </p><p>Ina Leifsdóttir was one of those who could see all the red strings. She kept quiet about her ability, knowing full well that people would beg her to lead them to their soulmate, and she didn’t want to deal with disappointment or anger if someone didn’t like who they found on the other end. Or heard that their string was broken or gone because their soulmate had died. There was safety in numbers and calculations and patterns that carried no messy emotions in their interactions and Leifsdóttir gladly immersed herself in them.</p><p> </p><p>But she made the mistake of asking Pidge about Shiro and Keith, as they sat at a table and watched the victory ball going on around them.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you know when the Captain and the Black Paladin first discovered they were destined?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re connected? You can see it?” Pidge lit up with excitement as she stood and looked eagerly over to where they were. Shiro was gesturing with the hand that held a drink, his other hand resting low on Keith’s back. They made a dashing picture in the new formal versions of their Paladin-colored uniforms.</p><p> </p><p>Leifsdóttir had managed to yank her friend back down before she made a spectacle, but it didn’t stop Pidge from telling Hunk the next day while he was showing Romelle how to make brownies, one of Krolia’s favorite Earth foods. And within hours it was all over the Garrison. From there it spread to the civilians and eventually to other planets.</p><p> </p><p>That led to a long talk between Keith and Krolia, with Shiro as moral support. Krolia had never seen an actual string manifest around her finger, but hearing the description of connecting sensations made her realize that she had felt something similar during her time on Earth with Keith’s father. She had subconsciously assumed that distance had caused the sensations to fade when she returned to the Blades.</p><p> </p><p>Despite widespread expectations, Shiro and Keith might not have bothered with actually getting married. It annoyed Shiro when an alien ambassador or new Blade recruit would express their appreciation of the Black Paladin’s appearance, rather than his talents, but he always chalked it up to them not being able to read the signs in human behavior.</p><p> </p><p>But because they maintained a professional demeanor in public, only relaxing and showing their devotion to one another among their friends, many humans in and around the Garrison assumed that the red string for them was one of deep platonic friendship, rather than a love-bond. And when a random comms officer persisted in trying to capture Shiro’s attention, Keith screwed up his courage, asked his team for support, and staged a proposal at the end of a grand celebration to mark the Olkari’s return to a rejuvenated home planet.</p><p> </p><p>Red ribbon marked the different seating areas for guests in the courtyard of Plaht City’s best hotel. A net of red held hundreds of flowers above, shielding everyone from the bright sunshine, and red ribbon wove through the arch of white flowers, where Shiro and Keith stood in front of Coran and Sam, who would lead an exchange of vows that blended several traditions.</p><p> </p><p>This ritual was for everyone else. Keith and Shiro had accepted Krolia’s blessing in the Galra tradition the night before, exchanging rings of silver inlaid with a red motif to represent their bond.</p><p> </p><p>Their officiants took up red satin cords and wrapped them around a groom’s left wrist: Sam for Shiro and Coran for Keith. Then as Coran tied the loose ends into a knot and added a bow, Sam pronounced them married and invited them to kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Seated a couple rows back with her team, Leifsdóttir smiled as the real red string piled between them started to glow.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
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